Jeremy Bamber says police watchdog ruling could see him freed from jail

Jeremy Bamber, convicted of killing his family in 1985, believes a new police watchdog ruling could see him released from prison.

The now 62-year-old has always maintained his innocence, claiming he had nothing to do with the so-called White House Farm murders.

He’s serving a whole-life tariff for the murder of his adoptive parents Nevill and June Bamber, both 61, his adoptive sister Sheila Caffell, 28, and her six-year-old twins, Daniel and Nicholas.

All were shot at White House Farm in Tolleshunt D’Arcy, Essex, on August 7, 1985.

Now the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has ruled against the force that secured his conviction.

It concluded that Essex Police breached its statutory duty by not referring 29 serious complaints to the IOPC about how senior officers handled the case.

Bamber told the Mail on Sunday that the ‘endgame’ was near in his 38-year battle to prove his innocence.

He claims his sister, who was a paranoid schizophrenic, killed the family before shooting herself.

He is the only whole-life prisoner in a British jail to maintain his innocence.

Bamber says officers concealed evidence and tampered with the crime scene.

The Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC) is looking at fresh evidence that was submitted by Bamber’s lawyers last October.

In a letter to Bamber, seen by The Mail on Sunday, the IOPC said: ‘Having considered the nature of your complaints, there are matters raised in relation to allegations that officers lied about evidence, altered witness statements, passed evidence to a third party, withheld and concealed evidence and tampered with a crime scene.’

It said these complaints could amount to allegations of serious corruption as defined by the IOPC’s statutory guidance.

‘As such… your complaint falls within the mandatory referral criteria and therefore should have been referred to the IOPC for assessment following recording in the first instance,’ it continued.

Bamber said: ‘It’s going to be very difficult for the CCRC not to act very quickly once they have the IOPC report stating that Essex Police failed in their statutory duty. I think this is the endgame.’

Essex Police told the Mail on Sunday it was a matter for the IOPC while the watchdog did not respond to a request to comment.

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